The present invention generally relates to the measurement of packages and more specifically relates to determining the dimensions of a package while the package is being moved by a transport.
Determining the external dimensions of the package is important in many situations. For example, in the commercial transportation of packages, tariffs may be based on the dimensions of the package being transported in addition to or instead of the weight of the package. More particularly, a “bounding box” may form the basis for a tariff. A bounding box is generally known as the smallest rectangular solid box that can enclose the package. Thus, determining the dimensions of a package or its bounding box is especially important in the commercial transportation of packages.
Measuring the dimensions of a package may be made in various ways. For example, a tape measure or other measuring device may be used to manually determine the dimensions of a package. However, for a high volume commercial transportation of packages center, making such manual measurements introduces significant delays and burdens. An automated system for determining the dimensions of the package is available. In this system an overhead frame supports sensors oriented to scan stationary packages on a target floor area below the frame. In an exemplary use of such a system, a package carried by forklift truck is placed on the target floor area, the forklift truck retreats out of the range of the sensors, the sensors scan the stationary package and make a dimension determination, and then the forklift truck returns to pick up and move the package to another location. Such a system introduces delays and imposes burdens by requiring all packages to be unloaded and reloaded by the forklift truck at a particular fixed target location. These burdens are magnified in a high-volume package transport center where such handling and measurement wait times for each package combine to make substantial adverse labor costs and time delays.